LAS CRUCES - Rhonda Diaz wants everyone — kids and adults alike — to be more mindful of water waste.

“I would like to implement a youth water conservation program to start a dialogue that would be easy for children to interpret,” said Diaz, the new water conservation program coordinator for Las Cruces Utilities. “Maybe something that explains to them how they can help without always being told or reminded by their parents.”

Diaz is putting the finishing touches on the fifth annual Children’s Water Festival, an LCU event on Thursday that engages third- and fourth-grade students in several water-related presentations by local organizations. The purpose of those events is to help youth better understand water topics and their importance.

Originally from El Paso, Diaz graduated from New Mexico State University with a bachelor’s degree in horticulture and an emphasis in landscape design. She spent several years working in landscaping and irrigation.

Through those experiences, she developed an interest in water conservation education. It’s a theme she hopes to continue in her new position with LCU.

“I’m very interested in educating homeowners and businesses about water conservation, and why there’s a necessity to conserve water,” Diaz said. “I think it needs to be explained in a way that engages people.”

The takeaway she wants to promote to Las Cruces residents and businesses is the importance of working together to protect the natural resource.

“I think we need to help each other,” Diaz said. “That means not just pointing the finger at somebody who is overwatering — yes, that’s unfortunate — but learning more about our water conservation program and helping us help the community.”

Asked her go-to advice when people consult her on how to be more water efficient, Diaz said, “A good start is to install an automatic irrigation system. In the landscape industry, I always pushed for homeowners to invest in that. There’s such a large amount of water waste in people using hoses without shut-offs.”